Tillage implement



Sept. 4, 1928.

Filed March 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 4, 1928.

R. E. DUNHAM TILLAGE IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed March 1, 1923Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

p UNITED states 1,682,896 PATENT OFFICE.

Riel Y n. DUNHAM; or Briana, OHIO, nssrenon 'ro THE DUNHAM coMrAnY,orphans,

a OI-H0, a cozarona'rron or onto, i i

TIIJLAGE IMPLEMENT.

Application filed March 1, 1923. Serial No. 622,012.

My invention relates to improvements in tillage or earth orkingimplements, the

presentembodiment oi" the invention relatthe curved portions oi theadjacent discs,

conjointly form intervening soil packing ridge forming grooves. a

In earth Working or tillage implements of theclass indicated, it is notonly desirable that considerable Weightor ballast be employedtothoroughly pulverize and pack the subsurface, but it is particularlydesirable thatimeans bepro vided whereby to vary such Weight or ballastin accordance with varying soil conditions to be met 1n actual service.Furthermore, in implements ot' the specific class mentioned it followsthat the necessary or desirable welght reqiured to give proper serviceunder ordinary 501i conditions is such that the freight or transporta-.tion @charges are considerable, particularly WllBlB the transportationdistance is relatively great.

*Myimprovements therefore relate to 1mprovedmeans tor ballasting atillage implement of1 the general specific character men tioned throughthe medium of a suitable liquid, such as Water, or the like, andherebysuch liquid ballast may be readllyvar ed to correspondingly varythe Nelgllb transmitted through the tillage elements or so l pulverizingpacker Wheels to meet the particular. soil demands or conditions of theparticular soil being cultivated or operated upon.

. In carrying out myinvention I therefore provide a suitable liquidcarrying member orcontainer of the requisite capacityto give the desiredweighthand to vary the same Within the ordinary limits and soilconditions to be met as above referred to. in an imple- Nmentbf thespecific character mentioned I preferably provide a hollow drum shapedliquid ballasted body rotatably mounted and adapted to loosely carry andsupport the gangs of earth Working elements or packer discs in lieu ofthe gang'aizle shaft ordinarily ,PUlVGIlZQl' (l'lSCS may be arranged. nany suitable and convenient manner and so 11keused for SLTCl'l purpose,suitable means being iprovided for holchng and variably spacing suchearth Working elementsor packer discs 1n properly spaced abuttingrelation and wherebyficertain predetermined pulverizer or paclrcrdiscsmay be removedfrom the liquid ballasted body drum and y the remainingpacker discs be seemed in certainpredetermined positions apart toprovide suitable spaces or passes to receive rows of growing crops.

lhere are other features of the invention residing in elementalcombinations and par ticular construction of parts, all willihereinaftermore fully appear.

-with the above mentioned and otherends in view, the invention consistsin the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts,hereinafter described;illustrated in some of its embodiments in theaccompany ing drawii'igs, and particularly pointed out in phe appendedclaims.

tel erring to the accompanying drawings,

l orming a part ofthis specification, Figure l a fragmentary sideelevation, partly in section, of a gang o1": pulverizer discs and aliquid ballasted body drum, constructed in accordance WltlllhlSinvention, and detached from the implement or draft frame and itsbearings. i i Fig. 2, a similar view oithe median ior intermediateportion of thesame, illustrating in particular a suitable means, suchaswa spacing. clamp on collar, for spacingcc rtain oi' the pulverlzerdiscs a predetermined distance apart to form a space orpassto receive arow oi git-owing crops, such as corn, or the hire, and whereby thesoilbetween such rows maybe cultivated or packed andmulched. 1

Fig. 3, a cross; sectional view of the same taken on line Bei Fig. 2. lFigs, an end elevation of one of the disc gangs and illustrating inparticular one of the end bearing heads ofthe liquid ballastedbodytogether with suitable means for holding or securing the tillageelements or pulverizer discs in properly spaced abutting relation in thegang. i a

Fig. 5,, cross sectional view of a disc gang embodying a modil'ied forof liquid ballasted body. Similar numerals of reference designate like,parts throughout all the figures oft'he drawings. H

The gangs of earthworlnng elements or wise the gangs may be mounted inany suitable manner in draft or implement frames of any suitableconstruction, and such parts and features of construction forming nopart of the present invention need not be shown or described in detail.

As a means of providing a suitablesupply of liquid ballast, such aswater or the like, and particularly as ameans of varying such ballast tocorrespondingly vary the weight transmitted to and through the tillageelements or pulverizcr discs in accordance with the character of theparticular soil being cultivated or treated, a hollow liquid carryingbody is provided, which, in the present instance, is in thespecific formof a rotary drum provided with suitable bearing heads and axles for useinlieu of the ordinary an shafts heretofore used in holdin and g s o iiisupporting the gangs of packeror pulverizer discs in properly spacedrotatable relation to each other.

Such rotary liquid ballasted body may be of any suitable andconvenicntform and, in

the present instance, comprises suitable bearing heads 1, secured tosuitable cylindrical walls 1, theparts 1 and 1 conjointly forming arotary drum or cylinder providing an interior liquid or water chamber1". The ends or heads 1 are preferably provided with gudgeons or stubaxle shafts 1, adapted to be mounted in suitable bearings in anysuitableimplement frame.

The earth working elements in the specific form of pulverizer or packerdiscs preferably comprise the usual approximately V -shaped rims made upof the concave exterior faces or treads 2, nicotin in an apex forming asoil cutting or divi ing head 2, saidrim portions being similar to thesoil engaging portions of the pulverizer or packer discs heretoforeemployed in implements of this specific character. The packer discs 2,are loosely and rotatably mounted on the walls 1 of the body drum and inabutting relation toeach other, being preferably provided withrelatively wide annular base bearing portions 2", to form suitableannular bearings around the-walls of the drain, the treads 2 conjointlyforming intervening soil packing ridge fOlII'llIl" grooves 2.

As a means of quickly and conveniently mounting the packer discs upon orremoving the same from the drum, the ends of the latter are preferablyprovided with packer disc retaining rims 3, in the present instancesurrounding the bearing heads 1, and as a means of removably securingsaid rims 3 in position, the ends of the heads are preferablyprovidedwith clamps 4, mounted in guide lugs l of the heads and securedby means of clamp bolt-s 5, and nuts 5*.

As a means of inserting the water or balfirst liquid into or removingthe same from the drum, the outer periphery or wall 1 thereof ispreferably provided near one end with a threaded opening 1, adapted tobe opened and closed by means of a suitable threaded plug 1". It willbeapparent that by varyingt-he amount of water or liquid in the chamber 1the weight of the ballast will be correspondingly varied therebycorrespondingly varying the weight transmitted to and through thetillage elements or discs 2.

As a means of variably spacing the tillage elements or packer discs 2 onthe water ballasted drum 1, and particularly as a means of removing oneor more of such discs or ele' ments 2 and rearranging the remainingdiscs or elements at certain predetermined distances apart to provide asuitable space or pass to receive a row of growing crops,suitable discseparating clamps 6, may be provided, said clamps being adapted tosurround the walls 1 of the drum and, in the present instance, beingmade up of two parts adapted to be connected by means of connectingbolts or pins 6. i

Upon reference to the modified form of disc carrying drum shown in Fig.5of the drawings, it will be seen that such drum is provided withlongitudinally extending corrugations 1 forming the intervening grooveportions and the raised or crest portions 1*, the latter only being enaged by the bearing portions of the packer e ements 2 thereby reducingthe bearing surface and friction 'as compared with the form shown inFigs 1 to at, inclusive, of the drawings.

Moreover, by corru ating the drum surface, provision is made forallowing a certain amount of expansion in the drum wall as a provisionagainst the bursting of the drum due to freezing of water which mayremain in the drum during the winter weather.

By reason of the abovedescribed construction, it will be apparent thatthe drums are shipped empty and arenot provided with water ballast untilit is desired to use the same and that then the amount of ballast orweight introduced will be governed bythe particular soil conditions ofthe particular locality where the implement is to be used and it willalso be apparent that on direct draft the soil pulverizing elements orpacker discs 2 will rotate with the drum 1* and si' multaneously witheach other and that upon makingturns to one side or the other suchelements 2 will rotate independently and relatively of each other and tothe said drum 1. i i

Havin thus described one of the embodiments of my invention withouthaving at tempted to set forth all the forms in which i it may be made,or all the modes ofits use, what I claim and desire to secure by LettersPatent is,- V i i 1. Ina tillage implement, the combination of arotatably mounted body "provided with a plugged aperture for theintroduction of liquid ballast, and a plurality of V shaped treads inthe form of rings, rotatably mounted upon the body and in laterallyadjacent 1 relation to one another, the walls of the body being providedwith longitudinal corrugations, substantially as described.

2, In a. tillage implement, the combination of a rotatably mounted bodyprovided with l a plugged aperture for the introduction of liquidballast, and a plurality of radially projecting treads in the form ofrings, r0-

tatably mounted upon the body and in laterally adjacent relation to oneanother, the

1 Walls of the body being provided with longi tudinal corrugations,substantially as described.

ture for the introduction of liquid ballast,

and a lurality of V-shaped treads in the form 0 rings surrounding thebody and contacting the crests of the corrugations thereon, and beingrotatable with respect thereto,

said treads standing in laterally adjacent relation to one another toafford intervening grooves between the cutting edges of the adjacenttreads, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature.

RAY E. DUNHAM.

